lamb7

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I always ponder which side was correct. Everyone always debates this. In Christianity, I wonder why there are so many disagreements, denominations as well as opinions when we are to not to be confused. I don't think God would make these matters this confusing and hard for us to understand.

I personally gather from the scripture that predestination/God's Sovereignty and free will work together in ways maybe we cannot fathom since we are NOT God.


What do you think????
 

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The differences and issues begin with misunderstanding of the objective. Most Christians like to say: "Man’s objective is to bring glory to God” and have scripture references to support that objective, but a person can take any commandment of God given in scripture and have Biblical support for call that command: “Man’s objective”. We are certainly commanded to do that command, so why is it not man’s objective?

There are the two superior commands which all other commands are subordinate to and combined would be like: “Love God (and secondly others) with all your heart, soul, mind, and energy.” That appears to be man’s “Mission Statement”. The huge problem with fulfilling that “Mission Statement” is the fact that the “Love” needed would have to be huge, way beyond anything man could develop, learn, deserve, earn, pay back, be instinctive in man, or somehow just be forced upon humans.

Thus the reason you have free will, is because it is required for you to complete your earthly objective.

This messed up world which includes satan roaming around is not here for your pleasure, but to help you become like God Himself in that you have the unique, unbelievable Godly type Love (God himself is Love).

God has created beings to shower them with the greatest gifts possible, the greatest gift being having a Love like His.

If there is this Creator of the universe out there, His “creations” could not really “do” anything for Him, so this Creator would have to be seen as a Giver (Unselfish Lover) and not trying to “get” something from His creation.

Why would God have a totally unselfish type of Love, since He personally would not get anything out of it? If God’s “Love” is some kind of knee jerk reaction, then it is really meaningless (something like; gravity which is nice to have, but everyone automatically has it). God Loves us in spite of what we have done, who we are or what we will do, so it has to be by His choice.


God would create the right universe for the sake of the individuals that will accept His gift (the most powerful force [Love] in all universes, since that force [Love] compels even God to do all He does) and thus we become like He is (the greatest gift He could give).

What keeps the all-powerful Creator from just giving whatever He wants to his creation, eliminating the need for free will and this earthly time.

There are just something even an all-powerful Creator cannot do (there are things impossible to do), like create another Christ, since Christ has always existed, the big impossibility for us is; create humans with instinctive Godly type Love, since Godly type Love is not instinctive. Godly type love has to be the result of a free will decision by the being, to make it the person’s Love apart from God. In other words: If the Love was in a human from the human’s creation it would be a robotic type love and not a Godly type Love. Also if God “forces” this Love on a person (Kind a like a shotgun wedding) it would not be “loving” on God’s part and the love forced on the person would not be Godly type Love. This Love has to be the result of a free will moral choice with real alternatives (for humans those alternatives include the perceived pleasures of sin for a season.)

This Love is way beyond anything humans could develop, obtain, learn, earn, pay back or ever deserve, so it must be the result of a gift that is accepted or rejected (a free will choice).

This “Love” is much more than just an emotional feeling; it is God Himself (God is Love). If you see this Love you see God.

All mature adults do stuff that hurts others (this is called sin) these transgressions weigh on them burden them to the point the individual seeks relief (at least early on before they allow their hearts to be hardened). Lots of “alternatives” can be tried for relief, but the only true relief comes from God with forgiveness (this forgiveness is pure charity [grace/mercy/Love]). The correct humble acceptance of this Forgiveness (Charity) automatically will result in Love (we are taught by Jesus and our own experience “…he that is forgiven much will Love much…”). Sin is thus made hugely significant, so there will be an unbelievable huge debt to be forgiven of and thus result in an unbelievable huge “Love” (Godly type Love).
 
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...I personally gather from the scripture that predestination/God's Sovereignty and free will work together in ways maybe we cannot fathom since we are NOT God.

What do you think????

I think it is predestined that righteous get the eternal life. But who will be righteous depends also on the free will of people, on what people want.

These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
Mat. 25:46

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23
 
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Maria Billingsley

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I always ponder which side was correct. Everyone always debates this. In Christianity, I wonder why there are so many disagreements, denominations as well as opinions when we are to not to be confused. I don't think God would make these matters this confusing and hard for us to understand.

I personally gather from the scripture that predestination/God's Sovereignty and free will work together in ways maybe we cannot fathom since we are NOT God.


What do you think????
God is completely sovereign so it is perfectly within His sovereignty to grant us free will.
Be blessed.
 
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BobRyan

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I always ponder which side was correct. Everyone always debates this. In Christianity, I wonder why there are so many disagreements, denominations as well as opinions when we are to not to be confused. I don't think God would make these matters this confusing and hard for us to understand.

I personally gather from the scripture that predestination/God's Sovereignty and free will work together in ways maybe we cannot fathom since we are NOT God.


What do you think????

God sovereignly decided to have a free will system that He ensures.

Romans 10:9-10 notice what "results" in salvation.

And of course - that system has risk Isaiah 5:4, John 1:11, Luke 7:30, Matt 23:37, Luke 19:42

No wonder Gospel evangelism is of this form "we beg YOU - be reconciled to God" 2Cor 5:20 "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God"
 
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